Wednesday, November 14, 2007

The Quest for Dinner and Lodgings of a Red Tailed Hawk in Tompkins Square Park ...

Early Monday evening a Red Tailed Hawk was perched on a large , flat limb of an elm tree in Tompkins Square Park picking at and eating what remained of a pigeon killed and stashed on the tree limb ealier in the day .

Tiring of the cold pigeon remains , the hawk spread its wings and lept into the early evening air in search of a new perch and perchance more appealing warm-blooded dinner faire .

After flying from perch to perch for a half-hour or so the hawk spied a squirrel's nest of leaves placed high in a tree midst a tangle of branches . On lighting on this nest , hopping up and down with wings flapping the hawk drove the residents , some very surprised and angry squirrels , out on the limbs of the tree where the hawk perhaps could have grabbed one for dinner . The hawk had no such luck though , the squirrels escaped to safety , though now homeless in TSP , on the near-by branches .

Though the squirrels protested much the hawk remained a long time , perhaps all night , in their nest .